Spike.



`PATENTE!) SEPT. 1'7, 1907.

A'. B. LIPsooMB.

SPIKE.

APPLIOATION rmzn 1mm. 1005'.

ABRAHAM B. LIPSGOMB, OF YAGEIt, CALIFORNIA.

SPIKE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed December 6, 1905. Serial No. 290,592.l

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM B. LIPsCoMB, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Yager, in the county of Humboldt and State of California, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Spikes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in spikes and consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings forming a part hereof Figure l is a side elevation of my improved spike in place in a tie. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a `front elevation, and Fig. 4 is a front view of a spike provided with shoulders upon each of its sides.

In the practical application of my invention, I provide a spike A, comprising a shank B having a point b, and a head C integral with the shank.

The head C comprises a forwardly projecting lip c, for engaging the rail base E, and a rearwardly projecting shoulder c2, for engaging a tie D, the engaging face c3 of the shoulder being at a lower level than the engaging face c of the lip.

The shank B is provided with lateral ribs b, longitudinally thereof and adjacent to the junction of the shank and head, the rear face of the rib, `being flush with the rear face of the spike, and the front face thereof curving upwardly to its junction wi'th the head.

Upwardly facing shoulders b2, are arranged upon the front and rear faces of the spike, above the point and near the lower end of the spike.

The shoulders b2, may project beyond the plane of the face of the spike, or the fade of the spike may be c-ut away to form the shoulder as indicated in Fig. l.

It will be evident that when the spike is driven into the tie as shown in Fig. l, the severed ends of the fibers of the wood will be drawn downwardly and will engage the faces oi the shoulders to prevent withdrawal of the spike. The shoulder c2, when the spike is fully driven into the tie, will engage the upper face thereof, and thus prevent tilting backward ofthe head with respect to the shank, thus acting as a brace for the head. The

lateral ribs, entering the tie, will prevent pushing back of the spike as in spreading of the rails.

It will be evident that the provision oi the shoulders provides a broad bearing surface against the tie at a point where it is most needed.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a modication, in which the shank B of the spike A is provided with a second pair of shoulders bX arranged above the shoulders b2 and on the faces of the spike intermediate the faces on which are arranged the shoulders b2.

While I have shown and described my improved spike as a railroad spike, it is evident that the same improvement is applicable to nails, especially nails used in ship building.

My improved spike is` cheaply constructed, since it requires but little more manipulation thanthe ordinary spike, and when once driven into the tie, it will not easily become loose, and even if loose would be very diiiicult to withdraw since the loosening is at the upper end instead of at the lower.

From an inspection of Figs. 3, 4 and 5, it will be seen that the head Lof my improved spike is extended at each side a sumcient distance to afford a secure grip for a claw, whereby it may be withdrawn Without disfiguring the tie by gouging out a portion thereof to secure a grasp of the head. The above described eX- tended portions are a sufficient height above the tie to permit the insertion of the claw therebeneath.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A spike comprising a shank and a head having a lip for engaging a rail base and a shoulder for engaging a tie to prevent backward movement of the spikey said spike being provided with lateral ribs at the junction of the head and shanky said ribs curvingforwardly toward the point of the lip whereby to strengthen the junction of the shank and the head and extending to an edge beneath the shoulder, the tie engaging shoulder havingits ends ush with the sides of the lateral ribs.

ABRAHAM B. LIPSCOMB.

Witnesses H. B. CHARTERS, WARREN SYLvANUs COOPER. 

